Miss De Bourgh's Adventure by Joan Ellen Delman (Review)

Lady Catherine de Bourgh had always intended a marriage between her daughter Anne and her nephew Mr Darcy. But when Mr Darcy has the temerity to thwart her plans by marrying Miss Elizabeth Bennet instead, Lady Catherine resolves on bringing Anne to Bath to seek a husband. Shortly after their arrival, her ladyship is run down by a reckless coachman, and Mr and Mrs Collins hasten to Bath to be of service. As Lady Catherine recuperates from her injuries, Anne is befriended by the beautiful Louisa Wynnewood, and courted by Miss Wynnewood's oh-so-charming and irresistibly handsome brother. But can the Wynnewoods be trusted - or are they only after Anne's fortune? A satisfying love story, written with elegance and wit.

I GIVE THIS BOOK:

MY THOUGHTS:

I love reading Pride & Prejudice spin-offs, so I knew Miss De Bourgh's Adventure was one I would want to read. I did very much enjoy the story, but for a novella it was slow read. I expected to be able to read it a couple hours, but it wound up taking me a whole lot longer.

It was interesting to finally see how Anne would behave without her overpowering mother by her side. The ending was predictable but nonetheless enjoyable.

I would recommend this book to fans of Jane Austen.

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A Heartbeat Away by S. Dionne Moore (Review)

When a band of runaway slaves brings Union-loyal Beth Bumgartner a wounded Confederate soldier named Joe, it is the catalyst that pushes her to defy her pacifist parents and become a nurse during the Battle of Antietam.

Her mother's mysterious goodbye gift is filled with quilt blocks that bring comfort to Beth during the hard days and lonely nights, but as she sews each block, she realizes there is a hidden message of faith within the pattern that encourages and sustains her. Reunited with Joe, Beth learns his secret and puts the quilt's message to its greatest test—but can betrayal be forgiven?

I GIVE THIS BOOK:

MY THOUGHTS:
This book sounded like it was going to be one I would love, it's set during the Civil War and is about a romance between people from opposite sides, but I just couldn't connect with it.

I loved the heroine grandmother, she was such a great character! The way she took care of everyone she could, no matter what color uniform they wore, was wonderful. I loved how she explained why she was doing it to Elizabeth.

There is a lot of repetition, which is always boring to me. Though the romance was sweet, it did seem very rushed and that's something I don't like at all. The way things were told made it very hard to understand what was happening or did happen - for the longest time I was trying to figure out what was the cause of Elizabeth's injury.

The part the quilt plays in the story, while touching, felt forced and a little too much.

All in all, this book was okay. If the synopsis sounds interesting and you want to read it, this is one I would recommend borrowing first.

I received a complimentary copy of this book to review. I was asked to give my honest opinion of the book - which I have done.

If you found this review helpful, will you please click yes HERE. Thanks!

A Match Made in Texas: A Novella Collection by Karen Witemeyer, Regina Jennings, Carol Cox, and Mary Connealy (Review)

In the small town of Dry Gulch, Texas, a good-hearted busybody just can't keep herself from surreptitiously trying to match up women in dire straits with men of good character she hopes can help them. How is she to know she's also giving each couple a little nudge toward love?

A Cowboy Unmatched 
Neill isn't sure who hired him to repair Clara's roof--he only knows Clara desperately needs his help. Can he convince this stubborn widow to let down her guard and take another chance on love?

An Unforeseen Match 
Hoping to earn an honest wage on his way to the land rush, Clayton ends up on Grace's doorstep, lured by a classified ad. He may have signed on for more than he expected though--and he may have found the one woman who can keep him from moving on.

No Match for Love 
Andrew can't fathom how refined Lucy ended up as the caretaker to his dotty aunt, and somehow her arrival has prompted even more bizarre occurrences around the ranch. When they join forces to unearth the truth, will the attraction between Andrew and Lucy develop into more?

Meeting Her Match 
When the tables are turned and a tenderhearted meddler becomes the beneficiary of a matchmaking scheme, her world is turned upside down. As her entire life changes, will she finally be able to tell the banker's son how much she cares for him?

I GIVE THIS BOOK:

MY THOUGHTS:

A Match Made in Texas is comprised of four novellas all having to do with matchmaking of some kind. The first three have a secret matchmaker who sets up the first three couples and the fourth one we find out the identity of the matchmaker and watch her meet her match.

A Cowboy Unmatched by Karen Witemeyer - 5 Stars
After reading both Short-Straw Bride and Stealing the Preacher, I was waiting very impatiently to read Neill's story. I fell in love with the Archer brothers and wanted to see what lady would get paired with Neill.

The story was great from start to finish. The only thing that I could complain about was that it was short, but that's just me wanting more of this family and not anything having to do with the story itself - since for a novella it was absolutely perfect! It didn't feel rushed at all.

The romance was so sweet! There were some very heartwarming scenes, but I won't say more as I don't want to spoil it.

If you've read the previous two books featuring the Archers I'm sure this is already on your must read list. However if you haven't, even though the story could stand on its own, I would suggest reading them in order as you'll get so much more out of it if you do.

An Unforeseen Match by Regina Jennings - 5 Stars
I LOVED this story! It was so sweet and romantic, but at the same time it took on such a scary and serious issue - blindness.

I loved how Grace wasn't a wimpy, dejected woman but wanted to find ways to be as self-sufficient as she could be.

Clayton was a great character. I loved so many things about him and I don't know if I should mentioned specific things as I don't want to spoil the story should you decide to read it. I will say that once I learned his full story I was even more impressed with him.

This story almost felt like a full sized novel and that's hard to do with a novella. The pacing was great and the conclusion oh so perfect!

This story turned out to be my favorite of the four, which kind of surprised me after how much I loved the first one - I didn't think any of them would top it.

No Match For Love by Carol Cox - 4.5 Stars
The story started out great and continued to be so until the last 10 pages or so, then everything wrapped up so quickly and neatly that it was a little boring. I think the only reason this happened is because it's a novella so I'm cutting a little slack, but after the first two being completely enjoyable this one fell just a little short so that's why I gave it a half star less.

This is the first story I've read by Carol Cox and if it's any indication of her other books I've been missing out on some wonderful books, as I'm sure a full length novel won't have the same problem. I'll definitely be checking them out soon.

Meeting Her Match by Mary Connealy - 3.5 Stars
This story is by far the shortest of the four and I wish it wasn't. The story felt super rushed and a bit crazy at times.

I felt so badly for the heroine of this story. So many things have happened in her life that are just terrible.

I know the ending was supposed to be funny and cute the way it wrapped up, but I just found it first of all unbelievable and to be completely honest wrong on the parts of so many. I would have like it so much better if it happened differently.

There was also quite a bit of repetitiveness and with the story only being 75 pages I felt that took away from the story.

One thing that bugged me, and I could be miscalculating this, was when one of the characters from the previous stories is said to be expecting in December of 1893 and then a year later is said to be round with child (same baby). No specific date was given of the actual time of the ending of the story, but with the characters bringing out Christmas items it sounds like it's close to December, if it's not that month already. This was only a minor thing and didn't affect my rating.

This was also the first story I've read by Mary Connealy. I'm sure I'll be reading one of her full length novels sometime, as I do own one of them, just not sure when I'll get around to it.

On the whole I greatly enjoyed A Match Made in Texas and highly recommend it.

I received a complimentary copy of this book to review. I was asked to give my honest opinion of the book - which I have done.

If you found this review helpful, will you please click yes HERE. Thanks!

Twice Promised (The Blue Willow Brides #2) by Maggie Brendan (Review)

Seeing how successful her older sister's "mail order marriage" has been and longing to strike out on her own, Greta Olsen answers an ad for a mail order bride in Central City, Colorado. But when she meets Jess Gifford, owner of a thriving mercantile, she begins to harbor doubts. He didn't place the ad to begin with and his business in a busy mining town leaves him little time or energy for love. To compound her troubles, she was not the only bride to answer the ad! Will either bride strike the match she hopes for?

Filled with amusing and awkward situations that will keep the reader interested and guessing, "Twice Promised "is another sweet romance from Maggie Brendan.

I GIVE THIS BOOK: 

MY THOUGHTS:
The writing on this book was all right, not great or good just all right, but the reason I'm giving it such a low rating is the characters were just horrible! For a book sold in the Christian fiction genre the way the characters behaved was so opposite of that and there were no repercussions for it. What happened may have been meant to be amusing, but I just found it sickening and very unbelievable. Any shred of respect I had for the characters in the beginning was gone and I just couldn't wait to be done with the book. I can't really say what the reason was without giving away key details and, in case you plan on ignoring my review and reading it anyway, I don't want to spoil it for you. However, if you'd like to know what it is just ask me and I'll let you know.

I don't recommend Twice Promised at all!

If you found this review helpful, will you please click yes HERE. Thanks!

Under a Blackberry Moon by Serena B. Miller (Review)

Just a few days after she gives birth alone in the Northwoods, a recently widowed young Ojibwe woman stumbles into a nearby lumber camp in search of refuge and sustenance. Come summer, the camp owner sends Skypilot, his most trusted friend, to accompany Moon Song and her baby on the long and treacherous journey back to her people. But when tragedy strikes off the shore of Michigan's Upper Peninsula wilderness, Moon Song and Skypilot must depend on each other for survival. With every step they take into the forbidding woods, they are drawn closer together, until the tough questions must be asked. Will she leave her culture to enter his? Will he leave his world to enter hers? Or will they walk away from a love that seems too complicated to last?

With evocative descriptions of a breathtaking landscape, Under a Blackberry Moon will sweep readers into a wild realm where beauty masks danger and only the truly courageous survive, even as the sweet love story along the way tightly grips their hearts.

I GIVE THIS BOOK:

MY THOUGHTS:
Under a Blackberry Moon is a very moving and touching tale. The story is rich in detail, which made it very easy to picture everything.

Moon Song was such a complex character. I wasn't sure at first if I was going to like her, but very quickly I did. Then as the story progressed, and I came to understand her, I loved her. I've come to learn that she was a minor character in one of this author's previous books, The Measure of Katie Calloway, and understand why people have said they wanted to see a book about her - she is such a great character!

Under a Blackberry Moon is the first book I've read by this author, but I hope to read her other books soon. Highly recommended!

***I received a complimentary copy of this book to review. I was asked to give my honest opinion of the book - which I have done.*** 

If you found this review helpful, will you please click yes HERE. Thanks!

“Available October 2013 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.”

Deeply Devoted (The Blue Willow Brides #1) by Maggie Brendan (Review)

When Catharine Olsen leaves Holland for America as a mail-order bride, she brings along some extra baggage: two sisters, her mother's set of Blue Willow china, and a tragic past. When she arrives in Cheyenne, Wyoming, she promptly marries Peter Andersen and dreams of starting life over in this rugged land. Peter is kind and patient with Catharine and accommodating to her sisters. His mother, however, is not. When she begins a campaign to sabotage Peter's marriage, Catharine is distraught, worried that her secret past will be discovered. Will her life end up as nothing but broken pieces? Or will these trials make her stronger? 

Readers will love negotiating the clash of cultures and class as a highborn European and a Western wheat farmer learn to love one another and trust God with both the past and the future.

I GIVE THIS BOOK:

MY THOUGHTS:
I love mail-order bride novels, so when I saw Deeply Devoted I just had to read it. However, I'm so torn about what to give this book! It was one that I didn't want to put down and had to finish, but it was also so annoying at times because some of the aspects of the story were so unbelievable.

The story begins with Catharine along her sisters arriving in Wyoming from Amsterdam after six months of Catharine corresponding with Peter, her fiance. Peter had no idea that she was bringing along her two sisters, which is the start of the trust issues between them.

I loved most of the characters, even though they were a bit dull at times, so this is the reason I'm giving it a 3 star rating instead of a 2. I was strongly considering giving it a 4 star, but the negatives of the story were just too many.

For a story that takes place in the 1880's I found all the modern ideas very unbelievable. Women wearing overalls and thinking them cute. People considering a women of 18 all grownup and not needing, or allowing, anyone to tell her what to do anymore. But I think the attitudes regarding divorce were the biggest shock to me and the one I found the hardest to believe. I can't really get into detail about it, as the reason behind it is kind of a surprise, but I still had to mention it. Also the big scene at the end, which I saw coming, while very sweet was so ridiculous.

I plan on reading the next books in this series and am hoping that they will be better. If you love mail-order bride novels you'll probably want to read this one, but I would suggest borrowing it, if at all possible, first.

If you found this review helpful, will you please click yes HERE. Thanks!

BOOK DETAILS:

• Series: The Blue Willow Brides (Book 1)
• Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: Revell (September 1, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0800734629
• ISBN-13: 978-0800734626
• Product Dimensions: 0.8 x 5.5 x 8.4 inches
• Available to purchase at Amazon | B&N | CBD

Love's Awakening (The Ballantyne Legacy #2) by Laura Frantz (Review)

The path to true love lies somewhere between two feuding families 

In the spring of 1822, Ellie Ballantyne leaves finishing school and returns to the family home in Pittsburg only to find that her parents are away on a long journey and her siblings don't seem to want her to stay. Determined to stand her ground and find her place in the world, Ellie fills her time by opening a day school for young ladies.

But when one of her students turns out to be an incorrigible young member of the Turlock family, Ellie knows she must walk a fine line. Slaveholders and whiskey magnates, the Turlocks are envious of the powerful Ballantynes and suspicious of their abolitionist leanings. As Ellie becomes increasingly entangled with the rival clan--particularly the handsome Jack Turlock--she finds herself falling in love with an impossible future. Will she betray her family and side with the enemy?

Masterful storyteller Laura Frantz continues to unfold the stirring saga of the Ballantyne family in this majestic tale of love and loyalty. This is the Ballantyne Legacy.

I GIVE THIS BOOK: 

MY THOUGHTS:
The story started out kind of slow and in all honesty I put it down and didn't want to pick it up again for a long time, but once I did the story very quickly became quite interesting.

I loved a lot of the characters. Eden and Silas, of course, but also Ellie, Jack, Chloe, Ansel, even Andra :) They were all so realistic.

The eye to detail from this author is just great! You can tell she did a lot of research and I loved all the little historical aspects added in to the story.

Love's Awakening is only the second book I've read by Laura Frantz but I hope to be able to read her other books soon.

Recommended to fans of historical fiction.

***I received a complimentary copy of this book to review. I was asked to give my honest opinion of the book - which I have done.***

If you found this review helpful, will you please click yes HERE. Thanks!

“Available September 2013 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.”

BOOK DETAILS:

• Series: The Ballantyne Legacy (Book 2)
• Paperback: 416 pages
• Publisher: Revell (September 15, 2013)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0800720423
• ISBN-13: 978-0800720421
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.4 x 1.1 inches
• Available to purchase at Amazon | B&N | CBD

The Invention of Sarah Cummings by Olivia Newport (Review)

Sarah Cummings has one goal in life--to break into Chicago's high society. Desperate to stop serving dinner and to start eating at society tables, Sarah alters cast-off gowns from the wealthy Banning women to create lustrous, flattering dresses of her own. On a whim at a chance meeting, she presents herself as Serena Cuthbert, weaving a fictitious past to go with her fictitious name. But as she gets closer to Simon Tewell, the director of St. Andrew's Orphanage, Sarah finds that she must choose between the life she has and the life she dreams of. Will she sacrifice love to continue her pretense? Or can Simon show her that sometimes you don't have to pretend for dreams to come true?
Olivia Newport brings us back to Prairie Avenue to explore the place where class, social expectations, and romance come together. Readers will enjoy following the intrepid Sarah as she searches for true love in a world of illusions.

I GIVE THIS BOOK:

MY THOUGHTS:

After reading so many bloggers' reviews saying that they didn't like Sarah at all and couldn't connect with her, I was apprehensive about reading this book - though it ended up being completely unnecessary, as I greatly enjoyed this book and actually loved Sarah.

A lot of people may have found Sarah annoying, I agree at times she was very annoying, and hard to like. I thought this added to the story, as I don't think we were supposed to love everything she was doing since she was lying and deceiving so many people by living two lives. And though I personally liked her, I so wish she never would have started with her "invention" but that didn't make her any less likeable, to me.

The description and details in this book, just like the first two books in this series, are fantastic. You can tell the author did a lot of research.

My only complaint, which is minor, is that Sarah never seemed to get any penalties for her wrong doing. I don't think

The Invention of Sarah Cummings was a great read and a wonderful conclusion to this fabulous series. Each book could easily be read by themselves and enjoyed, as each is about a different person. Of course, if you hate for things to be spoiled you may want to read them in order since the characters from the previous books make appearances in each of the following books.

I would recommend The Invention of Sarah Cummings or the Avenue of Dreams series to anyone who loves historical fiction.

***I received a complimentary copy of this book to review. I was asked to give my honest opinion of the book - which I have done.***

If you found this review helpful, will you please click yes HERE. Thanks!

“Available September 2013 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.”

PRODUCT DETAILS

• Series: Avenue of Dreams (Book 3)
• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: Revell (September 15, 2013)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0800720407
• ISBN-13: 978-0800720407
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.4 x 0.8 inches
• Available to purchase at Amazon | B&N | CBD

CFBA: Fired Up by Mary Connealy

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing Fired Up (Bethany House March 1, by Mary Connealy

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Mary Connealy writes romantic comedy with cowboys. She is a Christy Award Finalist, a Carol Award Finalist and an IRCC Award finalist.

The Lassoed in Texas Series, Petticoat Ranch, Calico Canyon and Gingham Mountain. Petticoat Ranch was a Carol Award Finalist. Calico Canyon was a Christy Award Finalist and a Carol Award Finalist. These three books are now contained in one large volume called Lassoed in Texas Trilogy.

The Montana Marriages Series, Montana Rose, The Husband Tree and Wildflower Bride. Montana Rose was a Carol Award Finalist.

Cowboy Christmas—the 2010 Carol Award for Best Long Historical Romance, and an Inspirational Readers Choice Contest Finalist.

The Sophie's Daughters series. Doctor in Petticoats, Wrangler in Petticoats, Sharpshooter in Petticoats.

She is also the author of; Black Hills Blessing a 3-in-1 collection of sweet contemporary romances, Nosy in Nebraska, a 3-in-1 collection of cozy romantic mysteries and she's one of the three authors contributing to Alaska Brides with her Carol Award Winning historical romance Golden Days.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Rollicking Wild West Adventure and Romance from Bestselling Author Mary Connealy

Dare Riker is a doctor who saves lives, but someone seems determined to end his. It may have something to do with the traitors he dealt with during the Civil War, or it might be related to the recent incident with Flint Greer and the ranch. Whoever the culprit is, he or she seems really fired up, and Dare can't let his guard down for a moment, which is a challenge, since right now he's trying to win the heart of the recently widowed Glynna.

Glynna Greer came west as a mail-order bride and ended up in a bad situation. Now her husband, Flint, is dead, and she's determined to care for her son and daughter on her own. She wants to believe Dare Riker is as decent as he seems, but she's terrified to lock herself into another marriage. She plans to support her small family by opening a diner--never mind that cooking is not her greatest talent. The men in Broken Wheel, Texas, are so desperate for home cooking that they seem willing to overlook dried-out beef and blackened biscuits.

Glynna can't help but notice that danger follows Dare wherever he goes. There's the avalanche. And then the fire. But things really get out of hand when someone plunges a knife from Glynna's diner into Dare's back. Are Flint's cronies still plotting revenge? Is Glynna's son engaged in a misguided attempt to protect his mother? Is a shadowy outsider still enraged over past injustices? And can Dare survive long enough to convince Glynna to take another chance on love?

MY THOUGHTS:
Review to come.

If you would like to read the first chapter of Fired Up, go HERE.

CFBA: Born of Persuasion by Jessica Dotta

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing Born of Persuasion Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. (September 1, 2013) by Jessica Dotta

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Born in the wrong century–except for the fact that she really likes epidurals and washing machines–Jessica Dotta writes British Historicals with the humor like an Austen, yet the drama of a Bronte.

She resides lives in the greater Nashville area—where she imagines her small Southern town into the foggy streets of 19th century London. She oversees her daughter to school, which they pretend is an English boarding school, and then she goes home to write and work on PR. Jessica has tried to cast her dachshund as their butler–but the dog insists it’s a Time Lord and their home a Tardis. Miss Marple, her cat, says its no mystery to her as to why the dog won’t cooperate. When asked about it, Jessica sighs and says that you can’t win them all, and at least her dog has picked something British to emulate.

ABOUT THE BOOK

The year is 1838, and seventeen-year-old Julia Elliston’s position has never been more fragile. Orphaned and unmarried in a time when women are legal property of their fathers, husbands, and guardians, she finds herself at the mercy of an anonymous guardian who plans to establish her as a servant in far-off Scotland.

With two months to devise a better plan, Julia’s first choice to marry her childhood sweetheart is denied. But when a titled dowager offers to introduce Julia into society, a realm of possibilities opens. However, treachery and deception are as much a part of Victorian society as titles and decorum, and Julia quickly discovers her present is deeply entangled with her mother’s mysterious past. Before she knows what’s happening, Julia finds herself a pawn in a deadly game between two of the country’s most powerful men. With no laws to protect her, she must unravel the secrets on her own. But sometimes truth is elusive and knowledge is deadly.

MY THOUGHTS:
Review to come.

If you would like to read the first chapter of Born of Persuasion, go HERE.